Target.



Patented Feb. 6, |900. J. USTER.

TA F G E T.

(Application led Juiy 1 5, 1899.)

(N0 Model.)

WITNESSE INVENTOR, dZ/,l/

ATTORNEYS 1m: Hams frans cn, Puommnc., wAsuum'oN, o. c.

Nrrnp STATES PATENT Prion.

JOHN USTER, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY.

TARGET.

SPECIFCATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 642,887, datedv February6, 1900.

Application iiled July l5, 1899, Serial No. 723,881. (No model.)

To all whom, z5 may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN USTER, a citizen of the United States, residingin Paterson, in the county of Passaic and State'of New Jersey, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Targets; and l do herebydeclare the following to be a full,4 clear, and eX- act description ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, whichform a part of this specification.

This invention relates to targets; and it has reference particularly tothat kind of ltarget wherein the impact of the ball or other projectileis adapted to throw into view devices for designating the point at whichthe target has been struck.

The invention consists in an improved target of the kind aboveparticularly referred to and constructed substantially as hereinafterpointed out.

The invention is fully illustrated in the accompanying drawings,wherein- Figure l is a front View of my improved target, portionsthereof being broken away to reveal certain details of construction.Fig. 2 is a side view of my improved target. Fig. 3 is a top plan viewof said target, and Figs.

4 and 5 are views of certain details comprised in the invention.

d a b b are rails forming a base, which is supported upon suitable legsc, secured in any desired manner thereto. The railsbb, which are thefront and back rails of said base, rest upon the ends of the other railsa d', and they are superimposed by two other pairs of rails d d and ee', the latter pair being disposed above the rails a a and outside ofthe rails d d. Said rails d d e e are all preferably spaced. The frontends of the rails d d are connected and reinforced by a strip f, whosetop surface is flush with their top surfaces.

Extending transversely across the rear ends of the above-mentioned pairsof rails is a pair of narrow parallel strips g g. Resting upon each ofthe rails d d', near its front end, and secured thereto by a horizontaland integral projection g2 is a narrow vertical plate g3, which shouldpreferably be of metal. The plates g8 are spaced and are connected andbraced at their upper ends by another and horizontal metallic plate g4.The means for securing the projections g2 of the plates g3 upon theforward ends of the rails d d should preferably be screws, bolts, orother similar devices, whereby the parts referred to may be readilydetached.

ln the pocket h, which the pair of strips g g form with the ends of therails d d e e', rests the lower edge of an armor-plate 7L. If desired,screws or bolts penetrating said strips and the plate 7L' may beemployed for removably securing this last-named element in po- Sition.

t' i designate a pair of vertical shafts, each having an integral collart2 near its lower end, whereby it is supported upon one of the rails dd', to which it is firmly, but removably, secured by means of a nutr3engagingthe lower extremity of said shaft, which is threaded for thispurpose. It will be noted that each of the shafts t' 1l is disposeddirectly behind one of the plates g3 and is therefore protected. Theupper end of each of these shafts 'L' e" is steadied by a hinge j, oneleaf of which is secured to the top of the plate gL1 and the other leafof which has a recess j cut in its edge for the reception of the shaft.Coacting with this hinge and positively maintaining the shaft in itsproper position is a bar le, that is pivotally secured by a hinge 7c tothe upper edge of the armor-plate h. The front end of the bar k isprovided with a notch 7a2, andextending across said end of the bar isapad k3, preferably of leather, adapte l to impinge against the shaft.The bar 7a, including its pad 7c3, is made long enough so that when theshaft is being steadied by the hinge j said bar can be pushed downwardlyto bind the parts in position without being forced past the horizontaland into a consequent ineffective position.

Adjustably and removably disposed upon each shaft t' t" by virtue ofset-screws m is a series of spaced collars n.

o designates paddles disposed in two series,

each upon a shaft i, (L) being penetrated at their outer ends by saidshafts and each paddle being cnt away, as at o2, to receive one of thecollars a. In their operative positionthat is to say, the position bestshown in Fig. S-the paddles of the two series are disposed in alinementwith each other, thereby closing the opening that is formed by theplates g and g1 and the strip f, when, impacted by the projectile, theyare adapted to be turned back in substantially the position indicatedfor that one which is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3.

Above each collar n and within the cut-out portion of each paddle thereis fulcrumed upon the shaft an arm or lever p, whose free end carries aball p', into which it projects, said ball being secured thereto by aremovable pin p2, that extends through an opening p3 in said lever. Thelever is provided with an integral projection p4, having a straight edgep5, adapted to take against the back of the corresponding paddle. Itwill thus be seen that when the paddle is swung back it will carry withit the projection p4, and thus move the lever about its fulcrum. Theconstruction of the leverp is illustrated in Fig. 5.

In order to return the parts to their initial position after having beenactuated by the impact oi' the projectile against a paddle or paddles, Iprovide a pair of vertical and horizontally-movable uprights orstandards y. The standards q are secured each by screws, which penetratean integral and rearwardlyextending projection q', to the ends of aplate 7', forming an integral connection between substantially I-shapedguides r r2, (see Fig. 4,) respectively working between the rails c andd and d and e. The springs s connect eyelets s', projecting upwardlyfrom the rail b, with other eyelets s2, that are formed on the I-shapedguides yr' fr?. By these springs the standards q are normally keptforward. It should be remarked that the standards q are `disposed so asto project considerably outside of the plates g3 or, in other words, farenough to protect the balls p in their retracted positions and that saidstandards are preferably composed of metal. j

The frame carrying the standards q and consisting of the plate r and theguides r fr2 is adapted to be moved rearwardly against the tension ofthe springs s (in order to return the levers p to their initial positionby means of the standards q, which engage them) by a belt t, suitablyconnected to the plate r of said frame near its center and passing overa pulley t that is journaled between the rails d d. Said belt or a ropeconnected to it is eX- tended to the shooting-stand, where it can bemanipulated to reset the target.

The balls p' may be colored or otherwise marked in any manner, so thatit may be readily determined which paddle is struck; but I prefer tocolor or otherwise mark them correspondingly thus: the extreme upper andlower ones one color, the next upper and lower ones another color, andso on toward the center face.

In order that there may not be any undue reaction of the levers p,Iinterpose between each and the top of the corresponding collar n awasher u, preferably of felt or leather,

between which and said lever and the collar Athere is sufficientfriction for the purpose intended.

fu is a metallic plate secured across the front of the rail b and actingas a fender or shield adapted to protect the lower or base portion ofthe mechanism of the target.

The edges of the paddles should be close enough together so that whenthey are in their closed positions the projectile used cannot passbetween them. It is preferred that there be an odd number of each seriesof paddles. 1f this is so, a bulls-eye would be the impact of theprojectile with the target at the contiguous edges of the paddles whichare in the middle of the series. The next best shot would be the hittingof one of these two paddles. The third best shot would be the hitting ofthe target at the points Where two of the corners of the middle paddlesare struck simultaneously with the two adjacent corners of the paddlesabove or below them, and so on.

It will be manifest that my improved target is well adapted for militarypractice purposes, and it may by varying its size be constructed for useeither with heavy or small arms. It is especially adapted, however, foruse with the small-arm, and by virtue of the fact that theobjective-namely, that portion of the target comprised in the paddles-isvertically elongated it lends much toward accustoming the shooter to aimat an upright object, such as a man, so that he learns to more quicklyconfine his calculations in aiming practically to a vertical line.

In view of the foregoing description of my improved target it will beseen that the various parts may be readily disconnected, so that theymay be knocked down for packing in a comparatively small space.

I-Iaving thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a target, the combination of a suitable frame including spacedhorizontal and vertical plates together forming an opening, shaftssupported in said frame back of said vertical plates, paddles pivotallymounted on said shafts, normally closing said opening Vand movable outof opposition thereto, levers fulcrumed on said shafts and navingprojections extending from their fulcrumed ends and adapted to bearagainst the backs of said paddles, indicating Adevices carried by saidlevers, and a resetting mechanism for said levers and the paddlesconsisting of a suitably-guided frame, standards carried by said frameand adapted to engage said levers, and means for actuatn g said frame7substantially as described.

2. In a target, the combination of a suitable frame including spacedhorizontal and vertical plates together forming an opening, shaftssupported in said frame back of said vertical plates, paddles pivotallymounted on said shafts, normally closing said opening and movable out ofopposition thereto, levers'ful- IOO IIO

crumed on said shafts and having projections extending from theirfulcrumed ends and adapted to bear against the backs of said paddles,indicating devices carried by said levers, and a resetting mechanism forsaid levers and the paddles consisting of a suitably-guidedspring-returned frame` standards carried by said frame and adapted toengage said levers, and a iieXible operating device connected to saidframe, substantially as described.

3. In a target, the combination, with a suitable frame including spacedhorizontal and vertical plates together forming an opening, parallelrails supporting said plates and a base sustaining said rails, ofvertical shafts removably mounted in said rails back of said plates,removable collars adj ustably mounted on said shafts, paddles pivotallymounted on said shafts and having recesses receiving said collars, saidpaddles normally closing said opening and movable out of oppositionthereto, levers fnlcrumed on said shafts and having projectionsextending from their fulcrumed ends and adapted to bear against thebacks of said paddles, said levers being fulcrumed Within the recessesof the latter and each above a collar, indicating devices carried bysaid levers, a resetting mechanism l for said levers and the paddlesconsisting of a suitably-guided spring returned frame, standards carriedby said frame and adapted to engage said levers, and a iiexibleoperating device connected to said frame, a removable plate mounted onsaid rails back of said first-named plates and the opening formedthereby, hinges mounted upon the upper ends ot said first-named platesand engaging said shafts, and padded bars pivotally connected to saidlast-named plate and also engaging said shafts at their upper ends,substantially as described.

4. In a target, the combination of a suitably-supported shaft, collarsmounted on said In testimony that I claim the foregoing I j havehereunto set my hand this 7th day of July, 1899.

JOHN USTER.

lVitnesses:

ALFRED GARTNER, JAMEs B. NEWTON.

